Retailer forced to use bike lock on chillers to prevent shoplifting

A Coventry convenience retailer has been forced to fit a bicycle chain lock on his chiller doors to prevent shoplifting after it cost him £12,000 last year.

Paul Cheema, owner of Malcolm’s Store, said as well as the bike lock, he had put bells on the chillers. He said the store had been targeted by gangs stealing large amounts of meat and cheese.

Speaking to Radio 4's You and Yours, Cheema said: "One man took 32 packs of bacon and 20 packs of cheese. We put bicycle chains and doorbells on our fridges so every time a door opens an alarm sounds."

He added that he was using social media to post pictures of suspects.

"These guys have got inner coats and inner pockets, they do what they need to do," he said. "There's a bigger picture behind this. They are not just nicking this amount of food to eat at home."

Luke is the news editor of Retail Express, which reaches more than 50,000 stores every fortnight. Retail Express is the start of the journey for every independent convenience retailer, providing key news stories and effective, easy-to-implement advice.

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